The craze of becoming a YouTuber or content creators or social media influencer has been growing in a blistering pace from almost a past decade. People are preferring to become content creators either for fame, popularity and more importantly to earn good amount of money online from the platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter (now X) and other social media platforms. This is why the art of VTubing or a VTuber (Virtual Youtuber) comes into picture.

The VTuber phenomenon has taken the digital world by storm as it blends the appeal of virtual avatars with real human interaction. But “What is VTubing?” and “how you can become a successful VTuber?”.

In this article, we will take you in the world of VTubing and take you to the essential steps to start your VTuber career. These steps help you in standing out in a rapidly growing VTubers community and VTubing industry.

What is a VTuber?

A VTuber, or Virtual YouTuber, is a content creator who uses a virtual avatar to represent themselves for doing live streaming and create videos on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and other social media platforms. Instead of using their own face or actual identity, they create online content using virtual avatars.

These virtual avatars can be anything. It can be simple 2D images to complex 3D models, who speak and perform actions. These virtual avatars or vtubers interact with the viewers in a wide range of expressions and styles.

How, Where and When VTubing Started?

Concept of VTubing began in Japan in late 2016. It was started by “Kizuna AI”, who is the first official VTuber from Japan. As we all know that Japan is a country, which has vibrant and popular anime and manga culture, and it is well known for its technological advancements.

In December 2016, Kizuna AI made her debut on YouTube with her channel “AI Channel”. Using advance technology, she built her virtual avatar and hence quickly gained popularity due to her charming and relatable personality, with her virtual character interacting in a human-like manner. It was a new concept for audience and thus came into limelight and gained popularity very fast.

Her channel content ranged from playing video games to chatting with viewers and participating in various internet challenges, while maintaining the illusion of being an artificial intelligence (a virtual avatar).

This is the Kizuna AI’s success which motivated other VTubers to emerge. Only after Kizuna AI success, VTubing industry and VTuber avatars has become a global sensation, attracting millions of fans and creators alike. Many other companies like Hololive and Nijisanji were established and started following same path and became key players in the VTubing industry.

We all know that platforms like YouTube, Twitch and other digital media platforms will continue to grow, so does the demand for unique and engaging VTubers content will rise.

Although, it started off from Japan, but now VTubing has become a global phenomenon. Now VTubers have been on the rise from United States, Europe, Indonesia, South Korea, India and other regions, making VTubing a truly international form of entertainment and gaining success.

Why Become a VTuber?

VTubing offers unique advantages in comparison to no-face and real influencer channels. Some of them are:

• Anonymity: With VTubing, you can keep your real identity hidden and private. And, you can still build a strong online presence and followers on your channel.
• Creative Expression: VTubing allows you to create a persona (a virtual avatar) of your personality or some other personality that may be similar or entirely different from your real-life self. It depends on what you want your audience to see, which offers limitless possibilities and unbound creativity.
• Broad Audience Reach: The popularity of VTubers and it’s concept is growing like a wildfire, which means there is a large audience likely to consume such content.

Top VTubers

Here is the list of top 5 VTubers with the roughly estimate of their YouTube subscribers:

Rank	Name	Company	Primary Language	YouTube Subs (Approx.)
1	Gawr Gura	Hololive	English	4,500,000
2	Houshou Marine	Hololive	Japanese	3,320,000
3	Kizuna AI	Kizuna AI Inc.	Japanese	3,010,000
4	Filian	Independent	English	2,780,000
5	Usada Pekora	Hololive	Japanese	2,560,000

So, whether you would like to follow same path as top VTubers like Gawr Gura or Kizuna AI. The concept of VTubing provides an exciting platform to explore your creativity and freedom.

Steps to become a VTuber or Start Your VTubing Journey

If you also want to become a successful VTuber, we have crafted useful steps which can help you in starting your journey and growing as a VTuber.

1. Identify Your Interests, Niche and Audience

The first and foremost step is, before you start learning the technical aspects of VTubing. You should identify your passion and interests on which you want to build your channel content. You can only create continuous great content, if the niche or topics you choose matches with your interests or taste.

It is crucial to first identify your channel content niche (topics, subjects) and who would be your target audience? This step will define your content style and the community (followers or subscribers) you build.

Choose a Niche

A niche is a topic, subject, category of a market segment on which you focus and create your content on. As we said earlier, choosing a channel content should be inline with your interests and skills.

Are you passionate about gaming, nature, creating documentaries, music, or education? Do you want to focus on live streaming, tutorials, or entertainment? This helps you in creating best channel content, which engages your audience.

For example, Gawr Gura found success by combining her love for rhythm games with her engaging personality, which resonated with her interests and millions of viewers.

Understanding Your Audience

Before and after choosing your niche, research other VTubers in your chosen niche. What kind of content do they create and how do they engage with their audience? Use different tools to find out, what is trending in your niche and what the users are finding, what are their related queries?

This will give you insights into what works and what not? it also helps you in mastering your content to meet the expectations of your target audience.

2. Designing Your VTuber Persona

After choosing a niche, the next important step is creating your VTuber persona or personality (virtual avatar). This would be the heart of your brand. It is what makes you unique and memorable. Use right technology, software and app to generate VTuber model and VTuber assets. Select clean and vibrant VTuber Backgrounds, that suits well with your channel concept and content.

There are two main aspects to consider when designing your Vtuber virtual avatar:

VTuber Avatar Character Design

Your virtual avatar’s character appearance is the first thing people will notice. You can either design it yourself or commission an artist to make the best.

There are useful tools like VRoid Studio or Live2D Cubism which are popular for creating 3D and 2D avatars. As a beginner, you can start with a simple PNGTuber (a static image that reacts to your voice). It is a cost-effective option and helps you to assess or measure your channel strategy. When you become more confident, you can invest in a more dynamic 2D or 3D virtual avatar model.

For example, the VTuber Ironmouse is known for her demon queen avatar with pink hair and a distinct anime style. Her unique look, combined with her engaging personality, has made her one of the top VTubers on Twitch.

VTuber Avatar Voice and Personality

Your avatar voice and how you present yourself are another important factors, just like your avatar’s design. You can choose to use your natural voice or a voice changer to fit your character. Developing a consistent personality that aligns with your avatar helps in creating a real like and engaging VTuber persona.

3. Setting Up Your Software and Equipment

After done with the above steps, next step is to set up the right software and right equipment for providing a smooth and professional VTubing experience. Here is what you need at least:

Hardware and Equipment:

• Good PC: A good computer is essentially a basic requirement, if you plan on streaming or using resource-intensive software. Look out for a system with at least an Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor. The system should have minimum of 16GB RAM, and a dedicated graphics card like the NVIDIA GTX 1660.
• Camera (Webcam for VTubing): For face tracking, you’ll need a good camera with the good quality and high resolution. The Logitech C922x Pro Stream is a popular and affordable choice, offering Full HD resolution and smooth motion tracking.
• Microphone: Without good audio quality, audience will slip from your channel. Good audio quality is just as important as good video quality. A USB microphone like the Blue Yeti is a great starting point, ensuring your voice comes through clearly.
• Lighting: Proper lighting is also very important as it ensures that your face tracking is accurate. Simple desk lamps or bright LED panels can make a big difference in your live streaming or videos.

VTuber Software Essentials:

• VTuber Apps and Softwares: Some of the good software and apps you can explore are:
  – VTube Studio: It is best for 2D avatar streaming,
  – Live3D: It is best for 3D avatar streaming and making videos. It offers real-time gesture tracking, lip sync, and a variety of scenes and backgrounds.
  – VSeeFace: It is a free software. It is very useful creating configurable faces and tracking hand motions. VSeeFace is a virtual avatar puppeteering program for VTubers and provides a good focus tracking and high resolution image quality.
  
  Some of the other useful VTubing sofware programs are:
  
  FaceRig, Luppet, 3tene, Wakaru, Restream, XSplit and Switcher Studio (Good for iOS recoding).
  
  These tools help you in creating your vtubing avatars, track your facial movements and replicate them on your virtual character.
• Streaming Software: Now, to broadcast your content, you will need softwares like OBS Studio or Streamlabs. These platforms let you stream your content to YouTube, Twitch, and other social media platforms. They also gives you flexibility to add text overlays, alerts, and other interactive elements.

4. Branding and Presentation

You brand is how you present yourself in front of audience across all platforms. Now work on creating your brand assets. Create a compelling brand by designing effective logos, channel art, and text overlays that reflect your VTuber personality and your channel theme.

You can use tools like Canva or Adobe Spark or Adobe Express which are simple to use and can help you create elegant and professional-looking designs, even if you’re not a graphic designer.

Consistent Branding: Make sure your branding is consistent across all platforms, such as — YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and any other social media platform. This consistency helps your brand in building recognition and trust among your audience.

5. Creating and Publishing Content

Plan your content: Now after your avatar and equipment are ready. You have to plan your content. Do remember that consistency is key in content creation. A well-thought-out content plan helps you stay focused, organized and keep your audience interested and engaged.

Start by creating a content calendar. Decide how often you would live stream or upload videos. For instance, you might start with streaming twice a week and uploading a new video every Saturday. This schedule helps build anticipation and connection among your audience.

Be researchful and careful while creating your content calendar. Consider mixing up your content with different types to keep things fresh. You can do live streams which are great for real-time interaction and pre-recorded videos allow you to bring more refined and polished content. Also, you should explore short-form content like YouTube shorts and videos to reach a broader audience.

6. Understand Recording and Streaming Basics

Recording Your First Video: While recording your first video, you should start with a simple introduction video. In this, you can introduce yourself, your VTuber persona and explain what your channel will be about.

First thoroughly understand video recording basics and essentials. Than, record the video, and if you want to edit it, use programs like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. Add text or other overlays, catchy music which matches your video theme, and creative effects to make your video more engaging.

Live Streaming Tips: Before going live, do a few test streams and rehearsals to see how confident you are, how long your live stream would be and ensure everything works smoothly.

When you’re ready, start with greeting everyone than go with a casual Q&A session or play a popular game to attract viewers. Engage with your audience by reading and responding to chat messages. Over time, using these steps you’ll be able to build a loyal community of viewers who will keep coming back and subscribe to your channel.

Growing Your VTuber Channel

7. Engage with Your Audience

So, now you have uploaded few videos to your channel, what next? Well, building a strong community is key to long-term success as a VTuber or a YouTuber.

Now, start engaging more with your audience. Post comments or respond to their comments on your videos and interact with your audience on social media. Host different activities like Q&A sessions, gaming with your fans, or even just chatting with them helps build a strong community. This eventually help you in growing your audience.

Stay available on Social Media: Show your presence on other popular social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Discord to keep your audience engaged outside of streams. Keep them updated with new content and provide relevant information on your topics covered. Announce upcoming streams, share behind-the-scenes content, and engage with other creators.

8. Collaboration and Networking

To increase your reach further, work and collaborate with other VTubers. This would help in boosting your visibility. You can host a joint stream or make a guest appearance in a video. These types of collaborations are a great way to expand your reach.

Networking: Try to part of VTubing events and build your network of same minded people. Attend online VTuber events or join VTuber communities to connect with others in the space. These ways are great for new opportunities and valuable friendships within the VTuber community.

9. Analyzing Performance and Adapting

Now, everything is set. Work regularly on building impactful content and review it’s performance to understand what works and what doesn’t.

Use Analytics or Data (User) Analytics: User analytics shows you data insights about user journey on your channel. How many users came to your channel, how they interacted with videos, how long they watched the videos, which videos or what part of your videos are liked by users and many more such user behavior patterns. Which are important for you to study and make videos accordingly.

You can use analytics features provided by these platforms like YouTube Analytics or Twitch Insights to track your viewership, engagement, and growth. Pay attention to which videos perform best and try to replicate that success in future content.

Adapting Your Strategy: Work according to a strategy and be flexible with it. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new content or formats. If something doesn’t work, analyze why and adjust your strategy accordingly.

10. Monetize your VTubing Youtube or other channels

How to monetize your channel: Once you’ve built a strong audience base, you should explore different methods of monetizing your channel. Such as:

YouTube Ads: YouTube provides monetization to your channel, once you meet YouTube’s minimum monetization requirements (1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in last one year or 365 days), through displaying ads in your videos. You can start earning from ads by displaying them on your videos.

Super Chats and Donations: You can also earn on some platforms like YouTube and Twitch, by offering ways to your viewers for donating money during live streams. You can encourage your audience by thanking donors and offering perks like shout-outs or special interactions.

Patreon: Many VTubers use Patreon to earn money by offering exclusive content to paying subscribers. This could include behind-the-scenes (BTS) content, early access to videos, or personalized interactions. This method of earning is gaining popularity.

Merchandising: You can explore more ways to earn like create and sell merchandise featuring your VTuber persona. If your virtual avatar is hit among the fans, you can create Pens, t-shirts, coffee mugs, bottles, shakers, stickers, and other branded items to increase your earning.

Sponsorships: As your channel grows, you may attract sponsorship opportunities from various brands. It depends on what your channel is about and focused on.

Affiliate Marketing: You can also earn extra money by promoting products you use or believe in. This helps you in earning a commission on any sales made through your referral links and channel.

Conclusion

As we went through interesting journey of “How to become a VTuber?” We again emphasize that, starting as a VTuber is an exciting and rewarding journey but your interest and passion should align with it.

You can be a successful VTuber by following the steps outlined above, if you do it in right way and not by doing any wrong methods. Complete journey takes time, it would not give you immediate success but if you stay honest and truthful. Your channel would be a sure success.

Remember, the most important thing is to enjoy the process and let your personality shine through your virtual avatar with your engaging content. You should connect with the VTube community which is vast and supportive. With your honest efforts, dedication and creativity, you can carve out your own unique space in this ever-growing digital world with your virtual avatar.

So, first assess and if you are confident, than:

=> Dive in, start creating, and let your virtual persona (VTuber or Virtual Youtuber) take the center stage!

Happy VTubing!